I Can Make Your Day
by SarahSwan7
Summary: I like the idea of 'random acts of kindness' and wanted to see how it would work with the Spooks. This'll have a couple of chapters so that each character (I borrowed the ones from Series 5) does and receives a random act of kindness. I tried to resist obvious combinations like Harry & Ruth (but couldn't resist Zaf & Jo) to see how different characters would react to each other.
1. Chapter 1

_For Jo_

Every morning, Zaf would get up five minutes earlier than Jo. He knew that she rolled out of bed at seven o'clock on the dot, so he would set his alarm to five to and pull on a warm jumper, head to the kitchen and pour himself a bowl of her cereal. Every morning, without fail, when she headed to the kitchen for a morning coffee, she would roll her eyes at Zaf munching the box of muesli that she had bought.

Last night, though, Jo's operation had gone wrong. Two months of her work had now gone down the drain and she was gutted. Zaf felt a twinge in the pit of his stomach when he caught Jo's reflection in the kettle, wiping away tears as he made her a mug of tea at midnight. He had wanted to crush her into a hug but didn't want to make her more upset than she already was by acting in the wrong way.

So this morning, Zaf still got up five minutes earlier and still poured the bowl of cereal, but he left it with a cup of coffee just outside Jo's bedroom door. He then returned to the kitchen to make a less exciting breakfast of toast and tea for himself.

He was finishing off the last slice when she came in, carrying the empty bowl and mug. She looked up at Zaf and offered a smile, small but genuine. He grinned at her and finished off his last piece of toast more appreciatively.

_For Ruth _

"It's just, I'm supposed to be going out somewhere, with a, er, friend, tonight, but I can't, but I don't want to just -"

"Ruth, how can I help? asked Jo calmly in an attempt to console her flustered colleague.

"It's my cat," Ruth admitted. "I don't like leaving her alone, but it's too late to get a neighbour in-"

"I'll look after her," Jo offered immediately, watching a weight being pulled off Ruth's shoulder because of her words.

"Could you? She's not any trouble, and I'd pay you-"

"Ruth, it's no trouble at all, I'm happy to. And you don't have to pay me," said Jo, gathering her coat and bag.

Ruth looked as if she were about to object again but noted Jo's easy smile and said simply: "Thank you. So much."

"Who are you meeting?" enquired Jo politely. Ruth lowered her gaze a little and blushed crimson.

"Erm, well, Harry," Ruth replied quietly, not wanting to draw attention to herself.

Jo saw her friend's discomfort at the topic and just smiled gently. "Have a great evening."

Jo had vague plans of going to the pub with Zaf but texted him her new plans, and he agreed whole-heartedly that her calling for that particular evening was for a cat, not a Carling.


	2. Chapter 2

_For Malcolm_

Ruth watched for the second time that day as Harry barked an order at Malcolm. He wasn't being particularly angry or cruel, but Malcolm's meek expression always made Ruth pity him. Not that he would ever complain, but after Colin's death, Malcolm was more often than not alone in the forgery suite, inventing something in silence, with no-one to hear his woes.

He had once admitted to Ruth that he felt inferior to everyone else – playing a part in MI5 but never actually being in the field. His words were so honest that they stuck with Ruth, running around in her head, coaxing her to think of something good to say to comfort Malcolm.

He had gone for a jacket potato in the canteen at lunch when Ruth reached for a post-it note and scrawled a favourite quote of hers: "There is within each one of us a potential for goodness beyond our imagining."

At around five Ruth made her way up from the archives back to some waiting paperwork on her desk, on which her note had been replaced with the rest of the quote which she knew Malcolm would recognise: "For giving which seeks no reward; for listening without judgement; for loving unconditionally." Malcolm had underlined 'listening without judgement' and included a small smiley face.

Ruth vowed to be there to listen to Malcolm if he asked again.

_For Adam_

Adam had returned from a mission and his unhappiness was etched visibly into his features as he paced to Harry's office. Malcolm noted his colleague's distress and wondered what has happened, but didn't want to intrude by asking, thinking it better to keep his head down and continue monitoring CCTV.

Later, when Adam was at his desk tapping away at his computer, in a moment of suddenly wanting to be amusing, Malcolm typed a brief email:

'_Frowning makes you look older. Smile regularly like I do to keep the ageing away.'_

Adam's eyes briefly skimmed the message and he smirked, meeting Malcolm's eyes, who shrugged a shoulder and smiled, typing another message.

'_Coffee?'_

'_Milk, one sugar'_ Adam typed back with a genuine smile as Malcolm went to put on the kettle.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Only one more chapter to go after this one! Thanks to all who have read/reviewed.**

_For Harry_

It had been one hell of a week and quite frankly, Harry was getting to the end of his tether.

"Go to the Maldives," Adam had quipped during one lunch break. "Supposed to be relaxing. Lovely beaches."

"If you don't continue with the work I have given you I will put you on a plane with a one way ticket to do routine surveillance there for the rest of your career, Adam, so don't get bloody facetious with me," Harry had snapped.

Adam had of course been joking, but this operation was dragging and taking a toll on the entire team – Ros was even colder than usual; Jo was flinching at the slightest mistake; and even Zaf's charm and brightness was fading a little.

When Harry went off for a heated meeting with the Home Secretary, Adam decided to have a snoop in his boss' office to see if there were any hidden agendas of which he was unaware. Harry wasn't usually one to let the stress dominate him.

Flicking through Harry's work diary, he found meeting after meeting with political figures, but a small detail on the corner of the 8th – C. On the 12th there was another C, this time crossed out.

_C. For what?_ Adam tried to drum up ideas from his colleagues but they were none the wiser.

It was only when Adam came into Harry's office after being summoned to deliver an update on the mission that he heard a snippet of a conversation. "Call me if you want. I'm really sorry."

Harry slammed the phone in the receiver and looked up.

"Who was that?" Adam asked politely.

"My daughter," said Harry, briefly, dismissively. "Have you got that file?"

"Yeah, yeah." Adam placed the file on Harry's desk and went back to his work station. _C for Catherine._

She hadn't been in town for ages. Today was the 11th – she left tomorrow (according to Harry's diary), off to whichever new destination she picked to create a film about. And Harry hadn't seen her for almost three years. Adam spun round in his swivel chair, a plan coming together in his head...

"What the hell is this?" Harry's voice boomed as he came marching from his office the next morning. "Adam. What. Have. You. Done?"

"Re-arranged your schedule. I'm seeing the Home Sec in an hour, and Ros is tackling your two-o'clock with the DG."

"Do you feel that I am incapable of completing such demanding tasks, Adam?" Harry almost spat.

"I think a much more fulfilling task would be taking a few hours off to see your daughter," said Adam smoothly. "I've booked you a table for midday at this gorgeous cafe – if you'd care to look at the entries for today again, you will see that I have included the address." Adam was anticipating the moment that Harry would smile.

The Grid was silent. Every colleague's eyes were on their boss.

"If the result of your meeting with the Home Sec is that he wants to give you my position, I will be rather insulted - I like to think I have far more integrity than my devious section chief," said Harry, his face still entirely serious. Then a small smile. Then even a '"Thank you, Adam"'.

The whole team exhaled in relief.

"The break is for him, not you lot," declared Adam. "Right. Zaf, take a look at that CCTV footage..."

_For Ros_

It was Ros' birthday, and Harry didn't think mentioning the subject would sit very well with her. On the birthdays of other colleagues she would make flimsy excuses for not joining in on a celebratory drink, although Adam had managed to convince her just once. It seemed rather odd to make no mention of a subject that people often celebrated, but that was just Ros' preference.

Harry glanced at her through the glassy partition of his office. She had no cards propped up on her desk, no birthday badges (although Harry suspected that Zafar was the only adult who still indulged in that juvenile form of celebration). It might as well have been any other day for Ros Myers, efficiently tapping away at her computer; completely focussed on the task she had been set.

Harry didn't particularly like 'any other days' – they all blurred into a stream of indecipherable weeks that might well have just not happened. He knew that he had the ability to change Ros' normal day that just so happened to be her birthday too, and Harry wanted to prove that birthdays could be something to celebrate.

Cakes and cards seemed as if they would provoke a sigh at the childishness and unoriginality. A birthday drink would be rapidly declined. Even just the afternoon off would be a no-go. Harry sighed, returning to the paperwork on his desk. He would have to be a bit more imaginative in order to put a smile, however small, on Ros' face.

Harry reached for the phone and made a few efficient calls, barking orders particularly well on this occasion in order to get his own way.

_A few hours later_

The envelope was placed on Ros' desk just before her lunch break. She ran a finger under the seal and pulled out the slip of paper, rolling her eyes. Harry watched her reach for her coat and head for the pods.

Little did she know that this impromptu lunch meeting with an asset was actually a birthday lunch with her father, Sir Jocelyn Myers, whom Harry had persuaded the authorities to let out of prison for just a couple of hours to see his daughter. It hadn't been easy to arrange, but Harry wouldn't take no for an answer. He knew it was the only thing Ros would wish for, proven by the smallest of smiles that remained on her face as she returned to the Grid later that day. She met Harry's eyes through the glass. He nodded.

Ros had one enjoyable birthday to start off the list of many more to come – at least, Harry hoped for this to be the case.


	4. Chapter 4

_For Zaf_

There were many things that Ros didn't like. Paperwork days. File-hunting. People with the inability to control emotion. But one little habit that Ros did rather enjoy was people watching.

When she was typing up a report she would catch glimpses of her colleagues in the reflection of her computer screen. In the meeting room she would subtly watch people's reactions to the missions they were handed. It was an effective skill as a spy, but Ros secretly enjoyed watching and interpreting people – it made her feel more secure as to where she stood and who was potential competition. She knew she would win in any battle of words or competition of skill, but Ros liked to suss people out.

Adam was decent, loved to be the hero, cared for his team. Harry could be grumpy but also wickedly cunning. Ruth was wrapped up in her knowledge and shyness. Jo was naive and eager to please. But she was having more trouble in figuring out what Zaf was really like.

He was a flirt. Confident. Cheeky. A mate to Adam and a friend to Jo and a breath of fresh air for the team. But that was all that Ros was able to interpret about him. She had no idea what was beneath the charm. For each team member she had been able to identify insecurities, even for Harry, but not for Zaf.

She noticed him coming through the pods in the reflection of her screen, running a hand through his hair and straightening his jacket. He grinned as he passed Ros' desk, eyes bright. Ros smiled a tad sardonically in return but was thinking: _What on Earth could this man feel uncertain about?_

Then she watched him share a joke with Adam and wink at Jo and chat to Ruth and Ros realised the one fault he had, which had been glaringly obvious. He was too friendly.

It sounded absurd, but he got along with everyone. He viewed everyone as a friend, even her. How would he feel if a friend was taken from him?

Ros began to make more and more sense of this as she thought back to Colin's death. Sure, the whole team had been affected, Malcolm in particular, and she had felt horribly guilty parading her presence in their faces when her father had been running the men who took his life. She didn't really know what Zaf was like until she had been properly integrated into the team, but now she thought about it she could remember the frown that appeared briefly on his face at the mention of Colin's name – and Ros knew that Zaf cared deeply for people, perhaps too deeply in this profession.

It was a trait that Ros rarely felt – she found that being cold with people was far easier than letting your emotions affect you. But, on occasion, she had let personal feelings dominate her – a recent occasion being breaking down in tears at the news that her father was going to prison. Embarrassingly, this had happened in front of Adam. The memory made her shudder, despite the fact that Adam had been calm about it and didn't mention her temporary emotional incontinence.

She wished she could do something so that Zaf knew that his kindness was appreciated.

He resurfaced to the Grid after a week undercover and only Ros was there, working late again. After careful observations of her colleagues after joining the team she was able to detect that this particular colleague wasn't his usual self.

"You alright?" she asked casually.

Zaf looked up from the section of floor that he had been carefully studying and smiled quickly. "Yeah. How's your week been?"

Ros appreciated two things about what he had said – firstly, his insistence to conceal emotion around her, as everyone knew that she loathed whining. And secondly, he instantly asked about the other person in the conversation, unlike most people who liked to keep the focus on themselves.

"Relatively boring without your charm playing a pivotal role in the team," she quipped.

Zaf grinned. "Wow, Ros. A compliment?"

"Yeah well, appreciate them on the rare occasion that you receive one," she replied, patting her desk. "Come on then. Heart to heart. How was your operation?"

"You're joking, surely?" Zaf smile remained in place but he perched on the edge of her desk.

"Zaf, even the words 'heart to heart' almost made me throw up uncontrollably, but I've heard that I've got a knack for blunt pep talks if you think one would help."

Zaf smirked again, but his face was becoming more sincere. "Go on then. What psychological advice of great depth and subtlety have you to offer?"

"You can't give a shit about anyone," she said. "Especially colleagues. Colleagues are okay. But they get hurt."

"I know," said Zaf. "I just prefer to pretend that they don't. So that, you appreciate them more, instead of worrying about if they're gonna get shot or blown up."

"That's fine," said Ros, making sense of what he was saying. "I've been doing this for a while. And to be honest, I haven't met anyone who actually cares about people so much, so I'm not trying to make you stop being nice. Although, as a side note, I would appreciate it greatly if you stopped winking at me."

Zaf winked theatrically to irk her and then replied. "Okay, okay. I won't. As long as you promise to never be so considerate again; it's rather unnerving."

Ros smiled. "Deal. Well, now that the psychological advice is over, fancy a drink?"

"Sure, if you pay. My bank balance is shockingly low."

"Isn't everyone's in this lousy business?" Ros sighed, reaching for her coat, sharing a smile with Zaf and vowing to appreciate her colleagues whenever possible.

Well. Only if there wasn't a chance for mockery or glaring.


	5. AN

**Author's Note: Thanks to everyone who read and/or reviewed. This was just a small idea but I really enjoyed writing it and if anyone expresses interest I might try something like this again in the future. Thanks again!**


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